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Tuesday, 23 August 2011

Bookaholics Anonymous.

My name is Anne and I'm a bookaholic! There I've finally said it.
This affliction seems to be getting worse the older I get, maybe I just have more time on my hands. I no longer have children at home to run around after and a few years ago I had to give up working because of my health so I suppose I have more time now to read than ever.

The first books I can remember reading were the Janet and John reading books at school, not much to rave about there but they had to be simple as we were just learning to read. The Secret Seven by Enid Blyton were the first chosen by me and I loved them I read the whole series under the bedcovers at by torchlight before moving on to Little Woman and the What Katy Did books.
The only time I can remember not wanting to read was at secondary school when we were given a "home reader" no choice at all, mine was Susannah of the Mounties, I asked my mum to read it and tell me the story so I could write about it in school. I can't believe now that I didn't even try to read it.

There were times when my children were young that I didn't read that much but managed to get through all Catherine Cookston's books and the Danielle Steele. I then started working in my local library and I was hooked more than ever. One of the perks of the job was being able to read newly released books before they went out for public lending. This was not really supposed to be a perk so don't tell anyone.
Like many libraries it closed down (because of lack of funding not because we read the books first) and I found another job unfortunately not involving books.
To get my book fix I volunteered to organise the library in my children's primary school, clearing out the old and torn and ordering lovely new books putting them all in a proper order , I really enjoyed myself until the head teacher marched all the classes in (without telling me) and I had to give them a talk on how to use the library, feeling really nervous and wishing to be anywhere but in front of slightly bored children I tried to make it interesting, I asked for questions from the children and one girl put up her hand and asked me why I hadn't invited her to my daughter's birthday party. Red faces all round then.

One of my most favourite books

My choice of books is usually popular fiction some people would call it Chick Lit but it really has to have a good story at its heart. One of the best books I have read is The Island by Victoria Hislop about a leper colony during the second world war in Spinalonga in Greece, the depth of human emotions in this book is amazing, having to let loved ones go to live another life on an Island and not being able to be part of that life must have been heartbreaking. Victorias' other book, The Return is set during the Spanish Revolution educated me as well as giving me another great story.

books still to be read

Since joining Twitter and finding new authors I'm finding more and more books I just have to read.
Amelia Carr, Isabel Ashdown, Pauline Barclay and Louise Candlish to name a few.
I was also introduced to Ether Books which I have as an app on my Iphone, It consists of Flash Fiction,short stories and poems by writers such as Rebecca Emin, the stories cost very little to purchase and many are free. So I no longer have to carry books on the bus or train just read them on my Iphone.

The biggest addition to my addiction has been the Kindle, it is the bookaholics tool for hiding and denying how many books they have, no more cries of ."not another book! Where are you going to put them".
No more bulging bookshelves or cupboard doors that won't close, no more seeing a book advertised and then forgetting its name ,I can buy them instantly and they are all stored tidily in the kindle.

My beloved kindle

I never have to choose which of my books I take on holiday I take them all in my kindle in my hand luggage so lighter suitcases.
What can I do about my addiction? Take up knitting? Outdoor pursuits? At my age the latter would probably result in a slipped disc. No I love reading, I love the anticipation of beginning a book and getting to know the characters,I cry at sad parts and I laugh at funny parts and feel a certain sadness when the story is told, but there is always another one waiting. So I'll say once again loud and proud,
My name is Anne and I'm a bookaholic!
P.S I still buy paperbacks!

Yes I've started it and its my bed reading for tonight, I went through a bit of bullying at school too so looking forward to seeing what happens. I've read some of the stories and poems on Shamblelurking too!